Tuesday, March 28, 2017

(Moscow) On Sunday past, tens of thousands of people answered the call by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and took to the streets in over 80 cities and towns across the land in which to protest at the corruption written into the DNA of Russian politics.

The Russian authorities denied permission for the rallies. Police arrested those who were holding posters or chanting, and also on occasion simply swept random people off the street. 1,030 people were detained in Moscow alone. About 120 remained in custody on Monday morning. The majority of those released were charged with the minor offence of taking part in an unsanctioned demonstration and are likely to be fined.

The protests were held over an investigation into the current Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's alleged corruption. Navalny’s team released a video alleging Medvedev had amassed a collection of mansions, yachts and vineyards - a fortune that far outstripped his official salary.